Money and Markets - Technology: Technology What's Hot What's Not

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Cardinals sign switch-hitter slugger Lance Berkman to one-year deal

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The Cardinals obtained additional punch for the middle of their lineup today by signing free agent outfielder-first baseman Lance Berkman to a one-year deal.

The club did not disclose terms of the contract, reportedly worth $8 million with no incentives or options attached.

Berkman, 34, has finished among the top five in NL MVP voting four times. He split last year between the Houston Astros and the New York Yankees. A switch-hitter, Berkman remains particularly a force against righthanded pitching. He carries a .296 average with 327 home runs and 1,099 RBI. His .409 on-base percentage ranks fourth among active players.
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Using his SWAT training Boca Raton, FL Officer Jimmy Jalil's Heroic Flaming Car Passenger Resue Caught on Tape

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Jimmy Jalil fired two shots to the back window to get to a female passenger

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Apples and Oranges - Newspaper advertising versus online advertising

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Amidst reports that online advertising is fast overtaking print advertising, it is important to keep in mind that these results at best reflect seasonal variance. One may overtake the other at a point of time, but at the end of the day, both are necessary because the approach towards both the mediums is different, the purpose is different and to some extent even the audience is also different.

So let us first take the case of newspaper advertising. Reading newspapers is a leisure activity, and for many, an intrinsic part of the daily routine. During the weekends, people usually relax with a newspaper and the accompanying magazine supplements to catch up with not only the latest news, but the latest trends, the most happening events, and even the latest gossips. The interest generated by the content spills on to the advertisements to an extent where the lines separating the two are dulled so that the ads and the content become a natural extension of each other.

This is then the power of newspaper and magazine advertising. They signify quality. The results may or may not be instantaneous but the message lingers in the mind for a longer period. Newspaper and magazine advertisements, therefore, have a greater impact and a greater recall value. The reader may not directly perform a call to action as specified in the ad, but in all probability, will do so when the need arises. Indeed, the emotional connect between newspaper content and the ads is so strong that people actually cut them out and store away the clippings for future use.

Online advertising, on the other hand, works on the principle of instant results. Your online advertisement appears in front of your potential clients exactly at the moment when they are searching for the product or service in question. Needless to say, the ad will lead to a greater conversion rate, more so, if the offering lives up to the expectation of what the customer is searching for.

Then there is the question of the audience. While the broadband has witnessed a significant increase, there are many who still don’t have access to the Internet. So if you concentrate on online advertising, you’ll be losing out potential customers whose primary source of information is the newspapers and magazines.

There are people who have access to both Internet and newspapers. However, the people who browse through the Internet, and especially when they are at work, focus specifically on what they are looking for. They may not have the time to read your ad properly. The mind is diverted elsewhere so there is a less chance of messages registering and having the required impact.  However, if the person is specifically searching for a particular product or service, your online advertisement will have a higher conversion rate.

So which is more important? The answer is both because you need instant clients but at the same time you cannot ignore the ones who may become potential clients in the long run. So it is not really a question of newspaper advertising versus online advertising, but an effective combination of both to achieve the desired results.
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Recommended Reading any Wednesday in Hermann Missouri...The only REAL coverage of Hermann's Young People

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Recommended Reading any Wednesday in Hermann Missouri...The only REAL coverage of Hermann's Young People

NOBODY shows this kind of dedication to the future of Leaders of Hermann than the editor of 
 http://www.HermannAdvertiserCourier.com/(Gasconade County's Newspaper of Record)


Next time you see him, PLEASE THANK HIM, he deserves it!!!!!!!!



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New deficit plan recommends Social Security Cuts

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The co-chairmen of President Barack Obama's deficit commission are sticking with politically explosive proposals to raise the Social Security retirement age and curb benefit increases in a revised plan to wrestle the deficit under control.

The new plan by Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson, to be publicly unveiled Wednesday, faces an uphill slog because of proposals to curb Social Security and Medicare costs, curtail a huge assortment of tax breaks like the deduction for mortgage interest and almost double the federal tax on a gallon of gas.

Though the ban appears unlikely to win enough bipartisan support from the panel to be approved, Bowles declared victory on Tuesday, saying that he and Simpson have at least succeeded in initiating an "adult conversation" about the political pain it will take to cut the deficit.

Bowles acknowledged the plan faces resistance from the 18 deficit commission members. Obama named the commission in hopes of bringing a deficit-fighting plan up for a vote in Congress this year, but it appears to be falling well short of the 14-vote bipartisan supermajority needed.

A new version of the plan, obtained by The Associated Press, makes mostly minor changes to a draft that whipped up enormous controversy when unveiled earlier this month. Some domestic spending cuts are modestly higher than previously proposed, and health care savings from overhauling the medical malpractice system would reap less than proposed earlier this month.

Unlike their original proposal, Bowles and Simpson stop short of calling for caps on medical malpractice awards. Instead they recommend changes in how awards are made.

But other proposals remain the same. Among them are a gradual increase in the Social Security retirement age to 68 by 2050 and 69 by 2075, using a less generous cost-of-living adjustment for the programs and increasing the cap on income subject to Social Security taxes.

The plan also retains a 15-cents-per-gallon increase on gasoline, a three-year freeze on federal worker pay and cutting 200,000 workers from the federal payroll through attrition.

The proposal obtained by the Associated Press was a draft that was still undergoing changes Tuesday evening. 
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Hermann's Holiday Old-World Market Eighth Annual Kristkindl Markt

 

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Historic Hermannhof Festhalle

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Inspired by old-world European holiday markets in Germany, the Eighth Annual Kristkindl Markt will showcase traditional German arts, crafts, food, literature, costumed carolers and music of the season.


The event will take place at the Historic Hermannhof Festhalle and Hofgarten in Hermann, Mo., on Sat., Dec. 11 and Sun., Dec. 12 from 10am to 4pm.


This year's market will feature more than 30 vendors with unique, handcrafted products such as soap, dolls, furniture, pottery, German folk painting, hand-woven items, scented candles, gourd art, spinning, purses, hand-dyed fabrics, hand-painted yarns, honey products, ornaments, jewelry, pewter ornaments, baskets, weaving, and folk art from more than two dozen artisans.


Delicious German holiday goodies also will be available including German-baked holiday cookies of all spices and flavors, chestnuts roasting on an open fire and gingerbread.


The Kristkindl Markt also features some favorite German holiday beverages including Heidi Cocoa topped with marshmallows and spiced gluhwein made with an heirloom recipe developed by the Hermannhof vintner. This gluhwein has become a favorite with guests when served in souvenir Kristkindl mugs.


Each year, visitors from as far away as Germany visit the Markt to enjoy the ambiance of the magnificent old Festhalle and the visual feast of arts and crafts. The towering Christmas tree in the Festhalle is filled with German ornaments, hand-crocheted snowflakes and hand-cut paper ornaments known as "scherenschnitte." Father Christmas will even make an appearance to visit with the children.


The Wagon Works Old Forge on Gutenberg will also be open with tin smith and blacksmiths plying their craft. Punched tin lanterns and black smith art will be for sale.


The Hermannhof Festhalle and Hofgarten is located at the corner of First and Gutenberg in historic downtown Hermann, Mo. Call 573.486.3276, or visit www.hermannfarm.org for more information.

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Missouri State Auditor Admits to Delayed Release of Audit(s) Until After Election

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The Missouri Technology Corp. was supposed to spur the state’s high-tech industry. Instead it was plagued by potential conflicts of interest, lax oversight, and barely spent any of the money it had to create high-paying jobs.

In a sharply critical audit released Wednesday, state Auditor Susan Montee substantiated many of the concerns raised by Nicholas Franano — a former MTC board member from the Kansas City area — and published by The Kansas City Star in March.

Montee, a Democrat who lost re-election last month and will leave office in January, claim's the audit’s release was delayed because of political threats by MTC managers.


Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2010/12/01/2491843/agency-blasted-by-state-auditor.html#ixzz174Diqurg

Hermann MO News also reported on a delayed release by Susan Montee on December 21, 2010 (see below)

Missouri state audit report of Gasconade County financial statements has been recently posted (after election) at the Missouri State Auditor's website: http://hermannmonews.blogspot.com/2010/11/multiple-deficiency-conditions-cited-in.html

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Hermann MO News Commentary:

It is currently unknown what effect these intentional audit delays, had on the election, but it would seem that this sort of manipulation would be in conflict with the intent of the audits, i.e. the public's right to know.

Furthermore, how can the voters make an informed voting decision when pertinent facts are kept in the dark?

Perhaps this is what cost Montee her bid for re-election.

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Big Lie - Saint Louis Number One Crime City

National ranking lists don't tell the true story


HERMANN MO NEWS already reported this once here it is again!!!
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Top 10 Road Trips include Hermann Wine Trail in Missouri - National Geographic

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Whether your loved ones are armchair travelers or real-world travelers, consider one of the new travel books out this fall as a gift. They range from big lush coffee-table books to travel-themed tales about marathons and food.

National Geographic's "Drives of a Lifetime: 500 of the World's Most Spectacular Trips," $40. For the worldly road-tripper, this book offers itineraries from U.S. 1 on the coast of Maine or Big Sur in California, to the Silk Road in Central Asia and the outback in Australia. The book is divided into eight chapters by type of trip (such as mountains, coasts, cities, history), each offering a detailed selection of itineraries and top 10 lists. For foodies on the road, the top 10 include Hermann Wine Trail in Missouri, pumpkins and chocolate in Pennsylvania and pick-your-own fruit in Idaho. For European lakeside drives, the top 10 range from England's Lake District to Italy's Lake Garda and Sweden's Lake Vanern.
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